The European Union and the Lao PDR held the 11^th meeting of their Human Rights Dialogue on 13^th July 2022 in Brussels.

The Dialogue was an opportunity to discuss topics including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, fundamental freedoms, rights of women, children, and rights of the vulnerable persons, freedom of expression and association, access to justice, death penalty, ratification of the international human rights treaties, and cooperation in multilateral fora. It focused on the implementation of the recommendations from the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Lao PDR’s recently adopted UPR Action Plan. The EU encouraged the Government to strengthen the cooperation with UN mandate holders by considering to invite them to visit the country before the fourth cycle of the UPR.

During the Dialogue, individual cases of persons of concern were raised by the EU while the Lao PDR provided responses on the issues raised by the EU. The EU also requested updated information on the measures adopted to protect people's rights, according to the norms stated in the international Conventions that the Lao PDR has ratified whereas the Lao PDR provided information on its legal and policy frameworks, as well as measures on the safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without discrimination on whatever grounds.

Lao PDR’s planned exit from the least developed country status in 2026 is a welcome sign of the country’s development. In preparation of the LDC graduation, the EU stressed   the possibility for Lao PDR to request trade preferences under the GSP+ scheme and recalled the requirements for granting such status, notably the improvements in the field of human rights, including the ratification and implementation of human rights conventions and the relevant ILO conventions.

The EU and Lao PDR agreed on a number of concrete deliverables, to be followed up ahead of the next Human Rights Dialogue. The deliverables would pertain inter alia to the cooperation with the UN special procedures; reporting under the UN conventions; registration of Civil Society Organisations; and information on the death penalty. 

The Delegation of the European Union was headed by Ms Barbara Plinkert, Head of Division for South-East Asia and ASEAN at the European External Action Service, while the Delegation from the Lao PDR was led by Mr Douangmany Gnotsyoudom, Director-General for Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was attended by representatives from several Ministries and Institutions of the Lao PDR, the EEAS and the European Commission.

The next meeting of the EU – Lao PDR Human Rights Dialogue will be held in Vientiane in 2023.